AACORN Charter Members

AACORN's Charter Members include both junior and established scholars with research interests and expertise pertinent to obesity and related health disparities.

Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD (Human Nutrition), MPH

AACORN Founder and Chair
Professor of Epidemiology, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Associate Dean for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Obesity-related expertise/interests: obesity and cardiovascular disease; culturally-based models for obesity prevention and treatment in African American adults and children; obesity prevention

Recent publications:

• Kumanyika, SK. Global calorie counting: a fitting exercise for obese societies. Annual Review Public Health. 2008;29:297-302.
• Kumanyika SK, Obarzanek E, Stettler N, Bell R, Field AE, Fortmann SP, Franklin BA, Gillman MW, Lewis CE, Poston WC 2nd, Stevens J, Hong Y; American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, Interdisciplinary Committee for Prevention. 2008;118(4):428-64.
• Grier SA, Kumanyika SK. The context for choice: health implications of targeted food and beverage marketing to African Americans. 2008;98(9):1616-29.
• Kumanyika SK. Environmental influences on childhood obesity: ethnic and cultural influences in context. Physiol Behav. 2008 22;94(1):61-70.
• Kumanyika SK, Lancaster KJ. The challenge of feeding children to protect against overweight. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2008;84(1):3-6.
• Ard JD, Kumanyika S, Stevens VJ, Vollmer WM, Samuel-Hodge C, Kennedy B, Gayles D, Appel LJ, Brantley PJ, Champagne C, Charleston J, Svetkey LP. Effect of group racial composition on weight loss in African Americans. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008; 16 (2):306-10.
• Kumanyika SK, Whitt-Glover MC, Gary TL, Prewitt TE, Odoms-Young AM, Banks-Wallace J, Beech BM, Halbert CH, Karanja N, Lancaster KJ, Samuel-Hodge CD. Expanding the obesity research paradigm to reach African American communities. Prev Chronic Dis. 2007;4(4):A112.

back to top

Njeri Karanja, PhD (Human Nutrition)

Senior Investigator
Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research
Portland, OR

Obesity-related expertise/interests: nutrition and weight management in chronic disease prevention though the life cycle, particularly in minority populations; macronutrient composition of the diet and weight regulation; intervention models in clinical and community settings

Recent publications:

• Karanja N, Lancaster KJ, Vollmer WM, Lin PH, Most MM, Ard JD, Swain JF, Sacks FM, Obarzanek E. Acceptability of sodium-reduced research diets, including the Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension diet, among adults with prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107(9):1530-8.
• American Heart Association Nutrition Committee; Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ,Brands M, Carnethon M, Daniels S, Franch HA, Franklin B, Kris-Etherton P, Harris WS, Howard B, Karanja N, Lefevre M, Rudel L, Sacks F, Van Horn L, Winston M, Wylie-Rosett J. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006; 114:82-96.
• Appel LJ, Brands MW, Daniels SR, Karanja N, Elmer PJ, Sacks FM; American Heart Association. Dietary approaches to prevent and treat hypertension: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Hypertension. 2006;47:296-308.
• Karanja N, Erlinger TP, Pao-Hwa L, Miller ER 3rd, Bray GA. The DASH diet for high blood pressure: from clinical trial to dinner table.Cleve Clin J Med. 2004;71:745-53. .
• Karanja N, Stevens VJ, Hollis JF, Kumanyika SK. Steps to soulful living (steps): a weight loss program for African-American women. Ethn Dis. 2002;12:363-71.

back to top

Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, PhD (Physical Activity Epidemiology)

Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Prevention
Division of Public Health Sciences
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston Salem, NC

Obesity-related expertise/interests: Role of physical activity in obesity prevention and control; physical activity behavior change programs; physical activity assessment

Recent publications:

back to top

Bettina M. Beech, DrPH (Community Health), MPH

Associate Professor, Division of Internal Medicine and Public Health
Associate Director of Health Disparities Research
Director of Public Health Research and Evaluation
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN

Obesity-related expertise/interests: community-based models for obesity and chronic disease preventive interventions in children and adolescents

Recent publications:

• Niswender KD, Beech BM. Obesity: increasing awareness of novel environmental factors. Diabetes. 2008;57(7):1786-7.
• Huizinga MM, Beech BM, Cavanaugh KL, Elasy TA, Rothman RL. Low numeracy skills are associated with higher BMI. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(8):1966-8.
• Madan AK, Beech BM, Tichansky DS. Body esteem improves after bariatric surgery. Surg Innov. 2008;15(1):32-7.
• Matthews CE, Chen KY, Freedson PS, Buchowski MS, Beech BM, Pate RR, Troiano RP. Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors in the United States, 2003-2004. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;167(7):875-81.

back to top

JoAnne Banks, RN, PhD (Nursing)

Associate Professor
School of Health Sciences
Department of Nursing
Winston-Salem State University

Obesity-related expertise/interests: development of contextually consistent, culture-based interventions to promote health behavior change among women; physical activity.

Recent publications:

• Banks-Wallace J, Outcomes from Walk the Talk: a nursing intervention for Black women. ABNF J. 2007 Winter; 18(1):19-24.
• Banks-Wallace J, Conn V. Changes in steps per day over the course of a pilot walking intervention. ABNF J. 2005; 16:28-32.
• Banks-Wallace J, Enyart J, Johnson C. Recruitment and entrance of participants into a physical activity intervention for hypertensive African American women. ANS Adv Nurs Sci. 2004; 27:102-16.
• Banks-Wallace J, Conn V. Interventions to promote physical activity among African American women. Public Health Nurs. 2002;19:321-35.

back to top

Tiffany L. Gary, PhD (Clinical Epidemiology)

Assistant Professor
Department of Epidemiology
Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Baltimore, MD

Obesity-related expertise/interests: epidemiology of diabetes and it complications, clinical trial design and conduct, and medical claims data analysis; socioeconomic and cultural influences on diabetes management.

Recent publications:

• Gary TL, Safford MM, Gerzoff RB, Ettner SL, Karter AJ, Beckles GL, Brown AF. Perception of neighborhood problems, health behaviors, and diabetes outcomes among adults with diabetes in managed care: the Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) study. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(2):273-8.
• Gary TL, Stark SA, LaVeist TA. Neighborhood characteristics and mental health among African Americans and whites living in a racially integrated urban community. Health Place. 2007;13(2):569-7
• Gary TL, Gross SM, Browne DC, LaVeist TA. The College Health and Wellness Study: baseline correlates of overweight among African Americans. J Urban Health. 2006;83(2):253-65.
• Gary TL, Baptiste-Roberts K, Crum RM, Cooper LA, Ford DE, Brancati FL. Changes in depressive symptoms and metabolic control over 3 years among African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2005;35(4):377-82.
  

back to top

Chanita Hughes-Halbert, PhD (Personality Psychology)

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Director, Community and Minority Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative, Abramson Cancer Center
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Obesity-related expertise/interests: body image and weight management in breast cancer survivors; sociocultural factors that influence African American women decisions to participate in genetics research

Recent publications:

• Halbert CH, Weathers B, Esteve R, Audrain-McGovern J, Kumanyika S, DeMichele A, Barg F. Experiences with weight change in African-American breast cancer survivors. Breast J. 2008;14(2):182-7
• Halbert CH, Love D, Mayes T, Collier A, Weathers B, Kessler L, Stopfer J, Bowen D, Domchek S. Retention of African American women in cancer genetics research. Am J Med Genet A. 2008;146A(2):166-73.
• Hughes Halbert C, Barg FK, Weathers B, Delmoor E, Coyne J, Wileyto EP, Arocho J, Mahler B, Malkowicz SB. Differences in cultural beliefs and values among African American and European American men with prostate cancer.Cancer Control. 2007;14(3):277-84.

back to top

Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, PhD (Public Health Nutrition)

Research Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Nutrition Department
Chapel Hill, NC

Obesity-related expertise/interests: nutrition and physical activity in diabetes self-management; community-based nutrition and physical activity intervention design; measurement and testing of psychosocial constructs related to dietary and chronic disease management behaviors.

Recent publications:

• Samuel-Hodge CD, Watkins DC, Rowell KL, Hooten EG. Coping styles, well-being, and self-care behaviors among African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Educ. 2008 May-Jun;34(3):501-10.
• Samuel-Hodge CD, Hill-Briggs F, Gary TL. Lifestyle intervention for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Nurs Clin North Am. 2006;41(4):567-88, vii.
• Samuel-Hodge CD, Keyserling TC, France R, Ingram AF, Johnston LF, Pullen Davis L, Davis G, Cole AS. A church-based diabetes self-management education program for African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Prev Chronic Dis. 2006l;3:A93.
• Samuel-Hodge CD, Skelly AH, Headen S, Carter-Edwards L. Familial roles of older African-American women with type 2 diabetes: testing of a new multiple caregiving measure. Ethn Dis. 2005;15:436-43.
• Samuel-Hodge CD, Fernandez LM, Henriquez-Roldan CF, Johnston LF, Keyserling TC. A comparison of self-reported energy intake with total energy expenditure estimated by accelerometer and basal metabolic rate in African-American women with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:663-9.

back to top

Kristie J. Lancaster, PhD (Nutrition), RD

AACORN Reseach, Evaluation, and Dissimination Core Associate Director
Associate Professor, Dept. of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health
New York University
New York, NY

Obesity-related expertise/interests: assessment of dietary patterns and determinants; nutrition education and other interventions to improve hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in at-risk populations including African Americans and older adults; church-based interventions

Recent publications:

• Kumanyika SK, Lancaster KJ. The challenge of feeding children to protect against overweight. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2008;84(1):3-6.
• Lancaster KJ, Watts SO, Dixon LB. Dietary intake and risk of coronary heart disease differ among ethnic subgroups of black Americans. J Nutr. 2006;136:446-51.
• Lancaster KJ. Characteristics influencing daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products in older adults with hypertension. J Nutr Elder. 2004;23:21-33.
• Lancaster KJ, Smiciklas-Wright H, Weitzel LB, Mitchell DC, Friedmann JM, Jensen GL. Hypertension-related dietary patterns of rural older adults. Prev Med. 2004;38:812-8.

back to top

Angela M. Odoms-Young, PhD (Community Nutrition)

Senior Research Specialist, Kenesiology and Nutrition
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL

Obesity-related expertise/interests: social and cultural influences on health behavior in African-American and low-income women, particularly the influence of religion, SES, neighborhood context, and race on weight-related perceptions and behaviors; community-based interventions

Recent publications:

• Thornton PL, Kieffer EC, Salabarria-Pena Y, Odoms-Young A, Willis SK, Kim H, Salinas MA. Weight, diet, and physical activity-related beliefs and practices among pregnant and postpartum latino women: the role of social support. Matern Child Health J. 2006;10:95-104.
• Ahye BA, Devine CM, Odoms-Young A. Values expressed through intergenerational family food and nutrition management systems among African American women. Fam Community Health. 2006;29:5-16.
• Wang Y, Tussing L, Odoms-Young A, Braunschweig C, Flay B, Hedeker D, Hellison D. Obesity prevention in low socioeconomic status urban African-american adolescents: study design and preliminary findings of the HEALTH-KIDS Study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60:92-103.
• Zenk SN, Schulz AJ, Hollis-Neely T, Campbell RT, Holmes N, Watkins G, Nwankwo R, Odoms-Young A. Fruit and vegetable intake in African Americans income and store characteristics. Am J Prev Med. 2005;29:1-9.
• Schulz AJ, Zenk S, Odoms-Young A, Hollis-Neely T, Nwankwo R, Lockett M, Ridella W, Kannan S. Healthy eating and exercising to reduce diabetes: exploring the potential of social determinants of health frameworks within the context of community-based participatory diabetes prevention. Am J Public Health. 2005;95:645-51.

back to top

T. Elaine Prewitt, DrPH (Nutrition)

Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
College of Public Health
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AK

Obesity-related expertise/interests: dietary intervention in African Americans, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia; obesity prevention in African Americans, cross-cultural studies of disease risk; community-based participatory research

Recent publications:

• West DS, Elaine Prewitt T, Bursac Z, Felix HC. Weight loss of black, white, and Hispanic men and women in the Diabetes Prevention Program. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(6):1413-20.
• West DS, Bursac Z, Quimby D, Prewitt TE, Spatz T, Nash C, Mays G, Eddings K. Self-reported sugar-sweetened beverage intake among college students. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006;14(10):1825-31.
• Adeyemo AA, Prewitt TE, Luke A, Omotade OO, Rotimi CN, Brieger WR, Cooper RS. The feasibility of implementing a dietary sodium reduction intervention among free-living normotensive individuals in south west Nigeria. Ethn Dis. 2002 Spring;12(2):207-12.
• Okosun IS, Prewitt TE, Chandra KM. Serum carotenoids and clustering of adverse health behaviors in American adults. Am J Health Behav. 2002;26(2):145-58.